All posts tagged Rikuzentakata Rebirth

Even during the dark days following the devastating 2011 earthquake and tsunami that rocked his coastal city, Rikuzentakata Mayor Futoshi Toba imagined that with time — one or two years — he would see progress toward recovery.

But as the two-year anniversary of the March 11 disaster approaches, Mr. Toba said he is frustrated that Rikuzentakata is nowhere near the recovery he imagined, slowed by red tape and a weakening sense of urgency to rebuild Japan’s disaster zone. Read More »

The tsunami-devastated city of Rikuzentakata bid a temporary farewell to the lone pine tree that had come to symbolize its tenacity amid the unimaginable destruction. The city is cutting down the tree Wednesday–a day after the 18-month anniversary of the tsunami–to begin preservation work after efforts to save the dying tree proved futile.

When it returns to the city’s shores in February the tree will be a monument, standing as a permanent testament to Rikuzentakata’s will to rebuild. Read More »

Nearly a year and a half after the March 11 tsunami tore through Rikuzentakata, the coastal city in northeastern Japan is on track to rebuild its sole hotel.

Mitsubishi Corp. said on Thursday its Disaster Relief Foundation will invest ¥100 million ($1.3 million) on the reconstruction of Capital Hotel 1000. The beachside hotel, once a downtown landmark with views of the magnificent pine tree grove next to the ocean, was Rikuzentakata’s only hotel before it was swallowed up by last year’s waves – along with the trees and neighboring buildings including city hall and the town’s main supermarket. Read More »

When last year’s devastating earthquake and tsunami ravaged the coastal city of Rikuzentakata in northeastern Japan, a single pine tree – a lone survivor among a beachfront grove of 70,000 trees – weathered the destruction.

The tree’s defiance to the tsunami came to symbolize the resilience and tenacity of this destroyed city but also of a nation facing an unimaginable natural disaster and nuclear crisis. It was named the “Tree of Hope” and the striking silhouette of the lone tree, leaning but still standing, graced scores of t-shirts, posters, and other souvenirs aimed at raising funds for this recovering community. Read More »

Since the devastating March 11 earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan, The Wall Street Journal has been tracking the progress of one especially hard-hit city – Rikuzentakata – as it tries to rebuild, battling slow progress and economic problems.

Updates:

- Takata High School’s baseball team gave the city reason to cheer in a recent game when the boys came back with a dramatic win in extra innings, offering some redemption after their disappointing run in the summer.

- The March 11 tsunami completely destroyed Rikuzentakata’s only general hospital. More than six months later, Mikihito Ishiki, the chief of medicine, is locked in a new struggle: Fighting for funding to build a new medical center.

Six months after a cataclysmic tsunami smashed cities and towns along Japan’s northeast coast, rebuilding efforts have largely stalled – crippled by political wrangling and the sheer complexity of the task. Click the headline to view the slideshow. Read More »

Since the devastating March 11 earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan, The Wall Street Journal has been tracking the progress of one especially hard-hit city – Rikuzentakata – as it tries to rebuild, battling slow progress and economic problems.

Updates:

The Sasakis, whose printing business was destroyed by the tsunami, lined up new print jobs from candidates running in local elections in September. But it’s unclear what they would do for business once the elections end. The father-son pair, working out of their temporary prefab home, say opening a new shop all depends on the government’s next move.

Meanwhile, several dozen small businesses and restaurants temporarily reopened at a two-day festival in late August.

For six months, the remains of the hospital in Rikuzentakata have stood empty–wind blowing through the tsunami-smashed rooms where this city’s sick once sought care. Dr. Mikihito Ishiki, the chief of medicine, is fighting to rebuild his hospital. WSJ’s Gordon Fairclough reports from Rikuzentakata. Read More »

Since the devastating March 11 earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan, The Wall Street Journal has been tracking the progress of one especially hard-hit city – Rikuzentakata – as it tries to rebuild, battling slow progress and economic problems.

Updates:

Rikuzentakata reached another important marker of progress recently: the opening of its first major grocery store since the March 11 disaster. The new supermarket features the kind of creature comforts that many residents were denied in the months after the tsunami: fresh cuts of meat, sushi and ice cream.

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